1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a needle threader for a sewing machine, which is provided in a head of a sewing machine body for threading a sewing machine needle mounted on a lower end of a needlebar by causing a needle thread from a needle thread supply to pass through an eye of the needle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Needle threaders of the above-described type have conventionally been known. For example, Japanese patent application publication JP-A-2002-200387 discloses a needle threader provided with a threading shaft that is located near or on the left of a needlebar so as to be vertically movable and pivotable. The threading shaft has a lower end provided with a threading hook and first and second thread guide members both holding a needle thread. The needle threader further comprises a pivot mechanism pivotally moving the threading hook horizontally and a lifting mechanism moving the threading shaft vertically upon operation of an operation lever by the user.
The threading shaft and accordingly the threading hook and the thread guide members are movable vertically between a standby position that is an uppermost position and a threading position that is a lowermost position where the threading hook is level with an eye of a sewing needle. The threading shaft is usually urged to the standby position (upward) by a spring or the like. In the sewing machine, the needlebar is stopped at a predetermined upward position (needle upper position) relative to the sewing machine head. The aforesaid standby position of the needle threader is set at a predetermined height suitable for execution of the setting of a needle thread (just on the left of a needle clamp).
When a threading operation is carried out using the above-described needle threader, the user firstly sets a needle thread with the threading shaft assuming the standby position as a preliminary work. In the setting work, the needle thread drawn out of a needle thread supply (a thread spool) is passed through a thread tension guide and a needle thread take-up and is then caught on a needlebar thread guide, thereafter being held by the first and second thread guides. In this state, when the user moves down an operation lever mounted on a side of the head of the machine body, the threading shaft and the like are moved downward relative to the needlebar, reaching the threading position. When the operation lever is further moved downward, the threading hook is pivotally moved at the threading position by the pivot mechanism, so that the needle thread is caused to pass through the eye of the needle. The needle thread held by the thread guide members is hooked thereby to be seized. Next, when the user releases the operation lever from the downward force, the threading hook is pivotally moved in the opposite direction thereby to be pulled back through the eye of the needle, whereby the needle thread seized by the threading hook passes through the eye of the needle. Thereafter, the threading shaft and the like are returned to the standing position.
In the above-described conventional sewing machine, the threading shaft is stopped at a predetermined height position (the standby position) near the needlebar (the left side) during the sewing operation. However, the threading hook and the thread guide members are located near the needle when the threading shaft is located at the standby position. Accordingly, the threading hook and the thread guide members block the user's view when the user views a needle base portion including the needle and the periphery thereof, thereby reducing the visibility.